Notoriously homophobic Irish MP Iris Robinson is in hot water after admitting to attempting suicide after having an affair in 2008 – at the time she was 59 and he was 19.

In 2008 Robinson made headlines when during a radio interview she spoke about homosexuality as being curable, disgusting, shamefully wicked and vile, adding that it made her nauseous. The interview was reported to Police as a hate crime but she escaped charges. She also told the Belfast Telegraph that homosexuality was “comparable” to paedophilia.

Now Robinson’s making headlines of a different kind. Late last year the Democratic Unionist Party MP announced that she was standing down from politics for mental health reasons.

In a statement released last week the 60 year old fundamentalist Christian called the affair with Kirk McCambley as “the worst thing I have ever done”, saying that she was “completely ashamed and deeply embarrassed”.

“I would pay any price on earth to take back the wrong I have done and the hurt I have caused to those around me,” said Robinson’s statement. “I love my husband more than I can ever say. I know this more now than ever before.”

While Robinson is quick to throw stones at gay people, she believes that God has forgiven her for her sins.

“I let down thousands of people who placed their faith in me and though my [mental illness] was a factor, I was not, at this time, true to the values, I professed. I grieve that I have damaged my profession in Christ, but I am comforted that He was able to forgive even me.”

Now Robinson is being investigated for allegedly soliciting £50,000 from two property developers to help her lover set up a business. It was against parliamentary rules to not declare her interest in the business, given that she was sitting on the council which awarded the money to Kirk McCambley. The BBC Spotlight program which broadcast the story claimed that Robinson demanded a £5,000 kickback from Mr McCambley for helping to arrange the transaction.

On the program McCambley revealed that he had known Mrs Robinson since the age of nine.

“I worked in the butchers since I was nine and I always seen her coming in and out. I knew her from a very early age through the butchers and through my dad.”

The affair started after Robinson helped McCambley through the grief of losing a parent.

“She looked out for me and made sure I was OK,” he said, “and obviously anyone who has lost a parent knows it is an incredibly hard time and she was there to help.”

UK gay magazine Attitude has since approached now 21 year old McCambley to pose for their cover. Editor Matthew Todd told the Belfast Telegraph: “We would love to see him on the cover of Attitude. We think our readers would go wild for him.”

On Facebook the Kirk McCambley Appreciation Society currently has more than 3,500 members.